Light ― Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting

This is a great book for understanding how light works in photography. It is pricey but worth it. Every studio photographer should read this book. Top notch quality

The main point of lighting, boiled down to a single idea, is the family of angles created by reflection - and this book covers the topic in great depth. The authors provide a wide range of practical advice for handling a range of the challenging photo scenarios. The book also covers a wide range of information such that I imagine everyone can learn something. I really enjoyed it, despite being a "text-book" I read it's 300 pages in under a week, so it's fairly easy reading material. One complaint I have is I found some of the diagrams to be a little confusing - some images are drawn or seem to be drawn in a top down perspective while other objects in the same diagram seem to be from a different perspective. It's possible I misunderstood what the diagram was trying to depict, so the fault may be my own. Nevertheless it wasn't such a significant issue to dock a star from the rating. I found the book to be incredibly informative with both the theory and concepts behind the techniques and great practical information for executing the techniques themselves. Hard to imagine a better book exists about lighting in photography - Light science and magic sets the bar sufficiently high.

I can't recommend this book enough to any photographer, of any skill level. In a time when we have become overly reliant on technology to get great photos, this book beautifully explains and illustrates the most fundamental aspects of light. For a beginner, this is essentially your textbook for how to light a scene. It takes you through how light works on a scientific level, then translates that into how it effects your photos. It's a walk-before-you-can-run approach, but it's done in such a fluent way. You find yourself WANTING to know more. For the experienced, this is an excellent refresher. I'll dare say that you will learn something new, regardless of your skill level. I felt like I have a good understanding of light. But, I didn't have a full grasp on WHY light behaves the way it does and why that matters to your setup. I also picked up some handy tips on working with glass and metal, something that I've always struggled with. If you're passionate about photography, this is a book you will read multiple times throughout your journey.

I purchased the paperback edition. It is very well printed on semi-gloss paper, and the overall content is well written and comprehensive. The binding, however, does not lay flat; I have to work to hold the book open, or lay a weight of some sort across it to keep it from closing. This is the kind of book that would benefit from a lay-flat binding that stayed open by itself, and the constant struggling needed to hold it in place, while not a deal-breaker, is certainly an annoyance. I suspect the hardback does not suffer from this problem, but it is very expensive in comparison.

The sixth edition has clear writing and improved sequencing of ideas making the concepts easier to grasp than in the fourth edition. Essential reading for anyone needing to understand how light and surfaces of objects interact (and how to make good use of the principals when making photographs). Especially important for still-life and product photography, but the underlying concepts apply to all photography.

If you experienced that photography is all about light(photos, greek)… I recommend you to read it thoroughly and in depth.

Hands down the most valuable book for photographers! One of the only books that I've found, that goes deep into managing the family of angles. A must have for any professional photographer of any genre!

Recommended by my Photography professor. Learned a great deal from this book.